Senior Social Worker

Senior Social Worker

Richmond and Wandsworth Adult Social Services are looking for experienced, qualified Senior Social Workers to provide leadership in our Adult Social Care Teams.

The teams consist of Service Managers, Assistant Service Managers, Senior Social Workers, Social Workers and Social Care Assessors who work across the boroughs. Our focus is to provide a holistic, personalised, strength based service to residents over the age of 18.

In return for your skills, knowledge and experience, we can offer you a salary up to £50,209 per annum (subject to experience).

We can also offer you:

• £3,000 retention bonus (every 2 years’ service)
• Payment of Social Work England registration fee
• Performance related salary progression scheme
• 32 days annual leave plus bank holidays (40 paid days in total)
• Regular reflective supervision and peer group supervision
• Bespoke Personal Development Plans
• Amazing fully funded training opportunities and career pathways including – Practice Educator; Leadership and Management; Best Interest Assessor; Approved Mental Health Professional (AMHP); Social Work Apprenticeships; Coaching and Mentoring and Adults Safeguarding at Risk. 
• Access to Research in Practice membership and Institute of Leadership and Management resources

We recognise the importance of a good balance between work and home life so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process (and beyond) if this is something you’d like to explore.

In addition, we offer a comprehensive range of staff benefits such as membership of the Local Government pension scheme, childcare vouchers, new technology scheme, interest-free loans on annual travel cards, discounts with many leisure activities, restaurants, shops and other establishments.

Your duties will include:

• To facilitate service user choice and empowerment through promoting independence and strength-based practice to enable residents to maintain their independence and local community connections for as long as safely possible
• To assist with the management of budgets, ensuring that processes and procedures are carried out in a timely and effective way; including authorising assessments, reassessments and arranging necessary funding to meet the requirements of individual support plans within available resources.
• To undertake statutory intervention where service users are deemed to be at risk, including situations where people may be neglected or abused in accordance with the Inter-Agency Policy and Procedures for Safeguarding Adults and to chair Section 42 Safeguarding Adults Enquiries where required.
• To provide operational and motivational leadership of staff, promoting a positive working environment with the primary aim of delivering high quality services.
• To provide regular, formal professional supervision for practitioners within the team being mindful of both Council’s Policies and Procedures, legislation, and Professional Standards.
• To manage the duty team and oversee all incoming referrals and safeguarding concerns.

You will:

• Have a ‘can do’ attitude to work
• Continuously seek better value for money while meeting resident’s outcomes at lower cost
• Have the interests of residents and service users at heart, and ensuring they receive the highest standards of service provision
• Take a team approach that values collaboration and partnership working.
• Have knowledge of current developments in relevant legislation, national guidance and frameworks and how to access more detailed information when necessary, including the local authority’s responsibility to safeguard adults at risk
• Be able to make rapid judgements, at times in emergencies

Candidates must have post qualification experience along with a good knowledge of relevant legislation and local authority responsibilities in the safeguarding of vulnerable adults. You must have good communication, decision-making and time management skills.

To apply for this role please complete the application form which will ask you for CV and supporting statement detailing how you meet the requirements of the role.

At Richmond and Wandsworth Councils, we care more about how you work and what you achieve, rather than where you work on any given day. The difference you can make to our local communities is what really matters most to us, service delivery must always come first. We have carefully considered agile ways of working to provide the best experience for residents, stakeholders and our staff. Our agile working strategy actively supports and encourages a dynamic work environment and daily working experience. Agile working helps put the needs of our staff at the centre of everything we do, so if specific flexible working arrangements helps you with this, feel free to let us know.

Your wellbeing and the flexible way in which you can work is and will remain a key priority for Richmond and Wandsworth Councils. We want you to thrive and feel empowered in your work!

Recruitment Timeline:

The applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis.

Useful Information:

The closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. We strongly advise you to complete your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.

Please note that the advertised dates for interviews may change due to the current Covid-19 situation. If they do, we will let you know as soon as possible. Your health and wellbeing is our top priority. Should you become unwell due to Covid-19 during the recruitment process we would very much appreciate receiving an update from you as soon as possible.

Richmond and Wandsworth Councils are committed to making our recruitment practices as inclusive as possible for everyone. We are committed to promoting equality and diversity and developing a culture that values differences, recognising that employees from a variety of backgrounds bring important and positive contributions to the Councils and can improve the way we deliver services. 

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. 

Please note the application process for this campaign will be anonymised.

Important Information:

This post is exempted under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and as such appointment to this post will be conditional upon the receipt of a satisfactory response to a check of police records via Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) helps employers make safer recruitment decisions and prevent unsuitable people from working with vulnerable groups, including children. It replaces the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) and Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA).